The Impact of National/Subnational Cultural Contexts on Early
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The Impact of National/Subnational Cultural Contexts on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A Comparative Case Study of the Lived Experiences of Lebanese and Danish ECCE Educators by Morten Greaves B.A. in Scandinavian Studies, July 2001, The University of East Anglia B.A. in Social Education, January 2011, University College Copenhagen M.A. in in Ed. & H.D. International Education, August 2013, The George Washington University A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education May 20, 2018 Dissertation directed by Colin Green Associate Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University certifies that Morten Greaves has passed the Final Examination for the degree of Doctor of Education as of January 19, 2018. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. The Impact of National/Subnational Cultural Contexts on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A Comparative Case Study of the Lived Experiences of Lebanese and Danish ECCE Educators Morten Greaves Dissertation Research Committee: Colin Green, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Dissertation Director Lionel C. Howard, Associate Professor of Educational Research, Committee Member Brian Casemore, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Committee Member ii Acknowledgements This dissertation is dedicated to my wife Rasha. This study would never have been possible without her. It is also dedicated to my two children, Thurayya and Odin, who provide me with daily reminders of the marvel that is early learning. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to my advisor Dr. Colin Green, who provided me with unwavering support throughout the writing of this dissertation. Dr. Green never accepted any ‘shite’, but was always supportive of my ideas, and provided me with constant critical feedback that allowed my ideas to develop into their current form. Additionally, I would like to thank the two members of my dissertation panel, Dr. Howard and Dr. Casemore. Even prior to writing my dissertation, they have both been supportive of my ideas and have always given generously of their time. Dr. Joel Gomez has played a crucial role in my development as an educational researcher. Throughout the course of my Master’s and Doctoral degrees, Dr. Gomez has been an inspiration to me, and he has helped me to understand what it means to be a scholar in the field of education. I would also like to thank the four research participants, Mariam, Leila, Alice and Basma, for being so generous with their time, and being so open about their experiences. I intend this study to be a testament to the excellent work they do on a daily basis. Finally, I would like to thank the faculties of the Graduate School of Education & Human Development, at the George Washington University, and the Skovtofte Pædagogue Seminarium. This research would not have been possible without the support and tutelage of all the excellent educators that I have come in contact with during my studies. I feel iii that my experiences at these two institutions of higher learning are a testament to the transformative power of education, and for these experiences I am grateful. iv Abstract The Impact of National/Subnational Cultural Contexts on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A Comparative Case Study of the Lived Experiences of Lebanese and Danish ECCE Educators This study positions itself in the field of international/global Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The early years of child development constitute what is often viewed as the most significant developmental period of the entire life-cycle. Studies have pointed to a range of benefits that ECCE programs can provide, leading to a greater interest in the field of ECCE globally. International/global ECCE is predominantly determined by Western derived theories and programs. Some Western derived ECCE programs assert their universal applicability, but there is criticism and opposition to the perceived ethnocentricity of these programs. Such resistance raises fundamental questions about what forms globally orientated ECCE programs should take. This exploratory comparative case-study explores the lived-experiences, perceptions and praxes of ECCE educators in Lebanon and Denmark, as well as the habitus from which these arise. These constructs were investigated through the use of a qualitative, comparative, embedded-design case-study. In-depth phenomenological interviews, structured and unstructured observations/participant-observations and document analysis were used to collect data. The data was analyzed thematically utilizing open/axial/selective coding and a priori themes. The four participants’ perceptions converged with regards to the perception that child-educator ratios have implications for ECCE praxis. All the participants held that their approaches to ECCE were child-centered, although their interpretations of what constituted child-centered praxis differed. The participants believed that parents play an v important role in ECCE, but the relationship between educator and parent is not always easy. Finally, all the participants felt a deep love for ECCE, and had done so ever since they first came into contact with the field. The Lebanese and Danish cases diverged on their perceptions of ECCE curriculum and whether or not they believed that ECCE praxis is an extension of motherhood. Keywords: early childhood education, international education, critical theory, teacher perceptions, lived-experiences, early childhood development vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………. iii Abstract……………………………………………………………………………... v List of Tables……………..………………………………………………………… viii List of Figures……………...……………………………………………………….. ix List of Photographs...……………………………………………………………….. x Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………... 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review……………………………………………….............. 34 Chapter 3: Methods…………………………………………………………………. 104 Chapter 4: Findings…………………………………………………………………. 142 Chapter 5: Cross-national Comparison and Interpretations………………………… 265 References…………………………………………………………………………... 310 Appendices………………………………………………………………………….. 329 vii List of Figures Conceptual Framework…………………………........................................................ 9 Model for Literature Review……………………........................................................ 40 Conceptual Framework………………………………………………........................ 103 Robert Yin’s Basic Types of Designs for Case-Studies…………………………….. 116 Robert Yin’s Multiple-Case Embedded Design Case-Study………………………... 117 Observer’s Rendition of Chestnuts and Mat…………………………........................ 218 Danish Grading Scale Compared to European Credit Transfer System…………….. 239 Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………................ 301 Revised Conceptual Framework……………………………………………............... 305 viii List of Tables Methodical Literature Review………………………................................................ 41 ECCE Literature Search…………………………………………………………….. 44 International and Global Education Literature Search……………………………… 63 Lived-experiences Literature Search………………………………........................... 77 Literature Search Educator Perspectives in ECCE…………………………………. 86 Table of Data Collection Methods……………………………………...................... 129 Data Collection and Analysis Procedure…………………………………………… 155 Mariam; Themes and Sub-themes…………………………………........................... 161 Leila; Themes and Sub-themes……………………………………........................... 179 Cross-case Comparison #1; Mariam and Leila……………………........................... 195 Alice; Themes and Sub-themes……………………………………........................... 211 Basma; Themes and Sub-themes…………………………………………................ 235 Cross-case Comparison #2; Alice and Basma………................................................ 254 Cross-National Comparison/Contrast………………………………………………. 267 ix List of Photographs View of Lebanese Kindergarten from Playground…………………......................... 154 View of Infirmary, Playground and Lower Entrance from Lebanese Kindergarten………………………………………………………………………… 155 KG3 Classroom……………………………………………………………............... 156 KG3 Cubby Holes and Bathroom…………………………………………............... 156 Example of Lebanese Children’s Artwork…………….............................................. 174 KG2 Writing Exercise………………………………………………......................... 184 Lebanese Classroom Rules…………………………………………......................... 193 The Danish Kindergarten…………………………………………………………… 204 Danish Institution’s Interior………………………………………………………… 206 The Danish Playground……………………………………………………………... 206 Name Tag…………………………………………………………………………… 209 Danish Cloakroom………………………………………………………………….. 210 x Chapter 1: Introduction Overview of Study This study positions itself in the field of international/global Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The early years of child development constitute what is often viewed as the most significant developmental period of the entire life-cycle (Bowlby, 1988; Soudee, 2009), where the cognitive foundations of the mature human condition are formed (Chomsky & Piaget, 1980). Historically, Early Childhood Development (ECD) was the domain of the biological family (Cannella, 1997), but studies have pointed to a range of benefits that ECCE programs can provide, leading to a greater interest in the field of ECCE globally (Schweinhart,